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​​​​​​​​​​​​​The
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Property and Evidence Division is responsible for the intake and preservation of evidence that is collected related to investigations conducted with in our jurisdiction. Each year the Division takes in more than 100,000 items. In addition we also take in found property that officers come across in their daily activities.

Citizens will receive a letter from the police department when their property is ready to be returned. When you receive this letter please read it thoroughly and follow the directions provided.

The following is additional information that will help you navigate the retrieval of your property.

As custodians of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Departments Property and Evidence we can only release property to rightful owners once the assigned investigator has authorized us to do so. If you come to Police Headquarters and the investigator assigned to your case has not authorized the release we will not be able to return your property.

Things you need to bring

Government issued picture Id

Letter you received from the Property and Evidence Division (if you have it)

Firearms Whenever a firearm is taken into our custody a court order must be obtained to release the gun regardless of how it came into our possession. As mentioned below this process takes 4-8 weeks.

Evidence A firearm that was seized as evidence can only be returned to an owner once we have received documentation from the District Attorney’s office authorizing the release of the weapon. It is then the responsibility of the investigator assigned to the case to associate the weapon to the authorized owner.

Once this is completed the owner will receive a letter indicating that the weapon is ready to be released. Once the owner receives the letter they should contact the Property and Evidence Division to start the return process. Please be aware that this process can take between
4 – 8 weeks and only begins once the owner contacts the Property and Evidence Division indicating they want their weapon returned to them.

​Found – Safekeeping The process for the return of a firearm that was turned in as found property or safekeeping is the same as the one described for firearms that are turned in as evidence. The one exception is that the decision to release the weapon is made by the assigned investigator who is responsible for associating the weapon to the authorized user. Once this has been completed the owner will receive a letter indicating the weapon is ready to be released. Once the owner receives the letter they should contact the Property and Evidence Division to start the return process. Please be aware that this process can take between 4 – 8 weeks and only begins once the owner contacts the Property and Evidence Division indicating they want their weapon returned to them.

Money All money turned into CMPD is deposited into a bank account. Money is only released to an owner once the assigned investigator has associated the money to an authorized owner. Once the owner receives the letter they should contact the Property and Evidence Division to start the return process. Please be aware that this process can take between 3-4 week and only begins once the owner contacts the Property and Evidence Division indicating they want their money returned to them. ​​

FAQWhat if I did not receive a letter? If you feel that you have property in the custody of the Charlotte Police Department Property and Evidence Division that you have a right to and have not received a letter please contact us and we will let you know if we have the property and if we do what steps need to be taken to return it to you.

How long will you hold my property? Once we send you a letter you have 70 days to contact the Property and Evidence Division indicating you want your property returned to you. Firearms are held for 180 days. After these time frames have expired the property is either destroyed or sent to auction.

Unclaimed Property​Unclaimed property is property that is ready to return to the owner but the owner is unknown. The state of North Carolina requires that we advertise unclaimed firearms for 30 days before we dispose of it.
If after reviewing the unclaimed property lists you determine something listed is yours, please call 704-336-2870.